The Ministry of Education has come under criticism after an image of the iconic Mohenjo-daro era sculpture the Dancing Girl appeared with its torso digitally covered in the class 9 textbook published by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The controversial decision has been described as an “act of censorship”.
The modified image is featured in the opening chapter of History of Arts in Madhurima, NCERT’s new arts education textbook for class 9. In the illustration, the figurine’s torso has been shaded from the shoulders downward, obscuring anatomical details visible in photographs of the original artefact and creating the impression that it is clothed, The Indian Express reported.
The approximately 4,400-4,500 year old statue is of a naked girl adorned with ornaments. It was cast using the lost-wax technique. The artefact was excavated from the HR (Hargreaves) area of Mohenjo-daro during the winter of 1926 by British archaeologist Ernest Mackay.
The change has sparked debate because the Dancing Girl has appeared in NCERT textbooks for more than two decades, including during previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) governments, without any such alteration. However, an attempt to clothe the statue was made earlier in 2023, when the Ministry of Culture unveiled its mascot featuring the Dancing Girl in a life-sized statue covered with a pink blouse and a yellow skirt, The Wire reported.
Meanwhile, reports say that while the image of the figurine has been altered in class 9 books, no such changes have been made to the same image in the class 6 Social Science textbook.
According to news agency ANI, the issue has been referred to the textbook development team for review.
“The matter has been referred to the textbook development team. They are looking into it. There is no specific reason. In the class 6 Social Science textbook, the Dancing Girl appears in its original form along with many other artefacts,” ANI quoted an official as saying.
In his interview to Indian Express, Historian Michel Danino criticised the act saying that the depiction was “wrong and unfair to the student” and that “the shading of the figure’s whole trunk is an act of censorship”.
Reacting to the controversy, Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed criticised the Ministry of Education, questioning its priorities.
“The image of the Mohenjo-daro Dancing Girl has appeared with its torso covered in an NCERT class 9 textbook. At a time when there are issues like NEET paper leaks and CBSE OSM discrepancies, this is what the Ministry of Education is prioritising. Uneducated and incompetent people are holding important positions everywhere. Shame on the government,” she said.